This easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter is one of my favorite ways to use a huge batch of apples in the fall. There is no peeling, most of the cooking is completely hands-off, and your house is going to smell like apples and cinnamon basically all day.
I keep my version pretty simple. Instead of adding cloves, nutmeg, and a bunch of other spices, I use cinnamon, vanilla, and a little lemon juice. I like actually tasting the apples instead of turning everything into pumpkin-pie spice.
The apples cook on low until they're completely soft, then I stick an immersion blender directly into the slow cooker and blend everything smooth. After that, leave the lid off and keep cooking until the apple butter is as thick as you want.
Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Apple Butter
- No peeling: The apple skins cook down and disappear once everything is blended.
- Mostly hands-off: The slow cooker does almost all of the work.
- Simple cinnamon flavor: No cloves or nutmeg in my version.
- Easy to adjust: Keep cooking it uncovered if you want thicker apple butter.
- Big batch: You'll have plenty for toast, baking, and freezing.
- Perfect for fall: This is one of those recipes that makes the entire kitchen smell good.
Ingredients
- 5½ lbs (2.5 kg) sweet apples, cored and chopped into approximately ¼-inch pieces
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
What Are the Best Apples for Apple Butter?
I like softer, sweeter apples for this recipe.
Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, and Gala are all good choices. A combination works too.
I would avoid making the whole batch with Granny Smith. They're much firmer and more tart, while this recipe works best with apples that naturally cook down soft and sweet.
And don't peel them.
After roughly 10 hours in the slow cooker followed by blending, I don't find the skins noticeable in the finished apple butter. Skipping the peeling also makes prepping 5½ pounds of apples considerably less annoying.
Why I Add Lemon Juice
I add about ¼ cup lemon juice for a little acidity.
There is a lot of natural sweetness from the apples plus brown and granulated sugar. The lemon helps balance that without making the finished apple butter taste lemony.
I also like keeping the spices simple. One tablespoon of cinnamon gives me plenty of fall flavor while still letting the apples be the main thing you taste.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
A suggested large slow cooker with enough room for the full 5½-pound batch of chopped apples.
KitchenAid Variable-Speed Hand Blender
A suggested immersion blender for puréeing the cooked apples directly in the slow cooker.
OXO Apple Slicer and Corer
A suggested corer and slicer that can speed up preparation when working through 5½ pounds of apples.
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How to Make Apple Butter in the Slow Cooker
1. Chop the Apples
Core the apples and cut them into small pieces, approximately ¼ inch.
Leave the peels on.
Add all of the chopped apples directly to a large slow cooker.
2. Add the Sugar and Cinnamon
In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Pour the mixture over the apples.
Add the lemon juice and stir until everything is evenly coated.
3. Slow Cook for 10 Hours
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for approximately 10 hours.
By the end, the apples should be extremely soft, darkened, and surrounded by plenty of their own juices.
4. Blend Until Completely Smooth
This is where an immersion blender makes the recipe really easy.
Instead of transferring a huge amount of hot apples into a blender, I put the immersion blender directly into the slow cooker and blend until completely smooth.
Add the vanilla and stir it in.
5. Cook Uncovered Until Thick
Leave the lid off and continue cooking on LOW for approximately 2 more hours, stirring occasionally.
If you want your apple butter even thicker, just keep going.
This isn't a recipe where you need to panic if it still looks a little thin at exactly two hours. Apples vary in how much liquid they release.
Cook it uncovered until you get the consistency you want.
Also remember that the apple butter will thicken more as it cools.
How Do I Know When Apple Butter Is Thick Enough?
This mostly comes down to how you plan to use it.
For toast, biscuits, or pancakes, I want it thick enough to spread without immediately running off.
For baking, I like it even thicker.
I used homemade apple butter in my Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies, and a thicker apple butter is helpful there because you're introducing less loose moisture into the cookie dough.
If yours looks more like applesauce after blending, don't add anything to fix it. Just keep cooking it uncovered.
Apple Butter vs. Applesauce
They're similar, but apple butter is cooked much longer.
Applesauce usually stays lighter, looser, and more obviously apple-like in texture.
Apple butter gets darker, smoother, thicker, and more concentrated because you continue cooking moisture out of the purée.
Despite the name, there is no actual butter in this recipe.
Ways to Use Homemade Apple Butter
The obvious answer is spreading it on toast or biscuits, but I use it for baking too.
Try it:
- Spread over toast, biscuits, English muffins, or pancakes
- Swirled into oatmeal
- Spoon over yogurt
- Added to fall desserts
- Used in cookies and cakes
- Served alongside a cheese board
- Stirred into a glaze or frosting
My Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies are one of my favorite reasons to make the apple butter fairly thick.
If you're already in apple-baking mode, try my Gluten-Free Apple Crisp next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to peel apples for slow cooker apple butter?
No.
I leave the skins on. After the long cooking time and a thorough blend with an immersion blender, they disappear into the apple butter.
Can I use a regular blender?
Yes.
Carefully transfer the cooked apples to a blender and work in batches if necessary. Blend until smooth, then return everything to the slow cooker for the uncovered cooking stage.
An immersion blender is much easier because you don't have to move several pounds of very hot apples.
Why is my slow cooker apple butter too thin?
Your apples probably released more liquid.
After blending, continue cooking the apple butter uncovered until the extra moisture evaporates.
Can I make apple butter thicker?
Yes. Just keep cooking it uncovered.
Stir occasionally and watch it more closely as it gets thicker so the edges don't scorch.
Does apple butter contain butter?
No.
The name refers to its smooth, spreadable consistency.
Can I reduce the sugar?
I haven't tested this exact recipe with less sugar, so I wouldn't promise the same flavor, texture, or final yield.
Can I can this apple butter?
This is not a tested canning recipe.
I use it as refrigerator apple butter or freeze it for longer storage. If you're preserving food through home canning, use a recipe and process specifically tested for safe canning.
Storage
Let the apple butter cool, then transfer it to airtight containers and refrigerate.
For longer storage, portion it into freezer-safe containers and freeze it.
I especially like freezing smaller portions rather than one giant container. That way you can pull out exactly what you need for toast or another baking recipe.
You Might Also Like
If you have more apples to use, make my Gluten-Free Apple Crisp or Gluten-Free Apple Pie Bars with Oat Streusel.
And definitely save some apple butter for the Apple Butter Oatmeal Cookies.
Final Thoughts
The best thing about making apple butter in the slow cooker is that there really isn't much to do.
Chop the apples, add the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and let the slow cooker take over.
After about 10 hours, blend everything directly in the Crock-Pot, add the vanilla, and cook it uncovered until it's thick.
That's it.
And if you're using it for baking like I do, let it reduce a little longer. A thick, concentrated apple butter gives you plenty of apple flavor without bringing a bunch of extra liquid into whatever you're making.
BAKE THIS NEXT
Easy Slow Cooker Apple Butter
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 lbs sweet apples 2.5 kg, cored and chopped into approximately 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 cup packed brown sugar 200g
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Equipment
- Large slow cooker
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife or apple corer
- Airtight storage containers
Method
- Core and chop the apples into approximately 1/4-inch pieces. Leave the peels on.
- Place the apples in a large slow cooker.
- Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Pour the sugar mixture over the apples. Add the lemon juice and stir well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 10 hours, until the apples are extremely soft.
- Use an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker to purée the apples until completely smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Leave the slow cooker uncovered and continue cooking on LOW for approximately 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- For thicker apple butter, continue cooking uncovered until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Cool before transferring to airtight containers and refrigerating or freezing.
Notes
- Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji, and Gala are good choices.
- You do not need to peel the apples.
- The lemon juice balances the sweetness without making the apple butter taste lemony.
- The finished apple butter gets thicker as it cools.
- For baking, continue reducing until the apple butter is especially thick.
- This is a refrigerator/freezer recipe, not a tested canning recipe.
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